Port Harcourt witnessed unrest at the City Council Secretariat when police clashed with youths protesting against Local Government Council Chairmen who reportedly refused to leave office after their terms ended. The demonstrators, identifying themselves as Ijaw youths, intended to conduct a peaceful protest.
One representative explained, “We are Ijaw youths; we are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure has expired but [who] said they will not vacate their office. We are not here to make trouble but we were on a peaceful demonstration but the police started shooting at us.”
According to a youth leader named Allwell Ichemanti, the confrontation led to a youth being injured by police gunfire. He criticized the outgoing chairman of the council for allegedly using the police to intimidate them.
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The skirmish caused alarm among commuters and passersby near the council secretariat, strategically located close to the state police command headquarters and Rivers State House of Assembly, as people scrambled to find safety.
While SP Grace Iringe Koko, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, has yet to comment on the incident, Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu had previously stated that police forces had been deployed across various councils to maintain peace and order.
